


Hotel Vegas

by cfcureton



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), olicity - Fandom
Genre: AU-No Arrowverse, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-26
Updated: 2017-06-26
Packaged: 2018-11-14 22:39:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 19,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11217708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cfcureton/pseuds/cfcureton
Summary: Heartbreak sends Felicity home to her mother for a vacation that just might change her life forever.





	1. Chapter 1

It was 11:30pm and Felicity Smoak was annoyed. Her shift had ended at eleven, Cooper knew it ended at eleven, and yet he hadn't shown up in the hotel lobby. He hadn't responded to any of her texts either.

  
By 11:45 she was pissed. Felicity had lent her car to Coop for the night with the understanding that he would be there to drive her home, but now she was stranded without a word from him. One of the cooks finally offered to give her a ride, which she gratefully accepted. Her boyfriend had probably had too much to drink with his buddies and was passed out on somebody's couch, she decided.

  
She was at the front door of her apartment before she realized that her house key was missing from her purse. Felicity could picture it, hanging on the little hook just inside the door. The other copy of the key was on the ring with her car keys; the car keys that were MIA along with her car AND her boyfriend. Frack. The house where Cooper lived with five other guys was only a few blocks away. She sighed, dug her pepper spray out of her purse, and set off on foot.

  
Despite the late hour, every window in the house blazed with light, and at least three different stereo systems competed for dominance. Abby, the house dog, greeted her at the door with a wag; she seemed bewildered at all the noise, even on a Saturday night.

  
Felicity checked over the first floor with no luck. She climbed the stairs, careful not to touch the railing if she could help it; you could catch a disease from looking at stuff the wrong way around here. All the bedrooms on the second floor were alive with activity: Card games, drinking games, video games, you name it. She stopped in each doorway to say hi and ask if anyone had seen Cooper. The answer was no each time.

  
Felicity's annoyance was rapidly morphing into anger laced with fatigue. She made her way back to her apartment building and circled around to the side where her ground floor windows looked out over a small yard. She crouched down next to the building and gave one of the windows a tug: Unlocked. It slid up without protest.

  
"Oh man, my mom is going to kill me," she muttered under her breath as she jimmied the screen off and got down on all fours to squeeze through the window. It was not an easy feat in her uniform skirt; one foot knocked over the small ceramic menorah sitting on the table under the window and she cried out as it hit the floor and broke into two pieces.

  
Even though she had little hope that he would be here either, Felicity called out Cooper's name as she checked the single bedroom and bath. He never kept clothes at her place, but the cologne she'd bought him for his Birthday was gone, as well as the Led Zeppelin boxed set that lived on top of the entertainment center. The last thing she noticed was his remote control front end loader (God, she was dating a child), bucket lifted, positioned in front of the door. Inside the bucket was a folded scrap of paper; under it lay her car keys. Felicity unfolded the paper and held it in her fingers for several seconds.

  
"I love you. I'm sorry. C."

  
Suddenly panic overwhelmed the anger and fatigue.

  
"Oh God, Cooper. What did you do?!" She fought off a panic attack as she paced her small apartment, her mind racing through the worst possibilities. She fumbled for her phone and Googled every area hospital, then spent the next 30 minutes calling each one to inquire. Nothing. She considered the police, but decided that he had enough recreational drug habits that he wouldn't appreciate being on their radar if he was just out on a bender. But she couldn't get the tone of that note out of her head.

  
Around 3am, still no closer to finding him, Felicity collapsed on her bed fully clothed and fell asleep.

The first thirty seconds of the next morning were bliss. Felicity lifted her head to check the time--9:30--and considered rolling over until she realized she was still in her clothes. Reality hit her like a freight train, and she thought for a moment that she might be sick. She scrambled for her phone and checked for messages, but there were none.

  
She considered calling in to work, but she knew she wouldn't be better off sitting here worrying about him. She was due in at ten, so she scurried to get ready, fear and dread clutching at her chest. In her efforts to break into her own apartment the night before she had neglected to notice that her car was parked on a side street near her building; at least she had transportation again.

  
At a little after eleven she finally got up the nerve to phone Cooper's boss; he worked at a mall kiosk fixing smart phones and computers. Dave picked up on the third ring and Felicity swallowed the lump of dread in her throat before wobbling out her question. She heard a deep sigh at the other end of the line.

  
"He came in yesterday afternoon and quit," Dave said softly. "He said he was moving back home." Upstate New York. The tears began to flow. There was a long moment of silence before Dave continued. "For what it's worth, I told him he should let you know himself. I'm sorry, Felicity."

  
Felicity was crying too hard to answer. She nodded into the phone even while her brain was reminding her that Dave couldn't see her. She hung up without a word, because what good would talking do now?

  
The meeting with her General Manager to request a couple of days off started out just as humiliating as she imagined. The tears began again as soon as she started to explain the situation. The shame of crying in front of him made her jump up to flee his office but he called her back, assuring her quietly that she had no reason to be embarrassed.

  
"Felicity," he began, "you're worth ten employees to me, but you're not meant to work at the front desk of a hotel your whole life. You have a degree from MIT, for god's sake!" She glanced up at him and sniffed.

  
"I know you're staying on here until you get the job offer you're looking for, but in light of everything that's just happened, I think you should take some time off. Go visit your mom. You've earned two weeks vacation this year; go use them. We'll be fine here."

  
Felicity was so grateful she couldn't find words, but she nodded fiercely and wiped her tears, already palming her phone in order to search for flights to Vegas. Even with her crazy mother, there was no place like home.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Felicity's mom had moved since the last time she was home. Donna Smoak liked to live in the moment, so her living arrangements were usually a reflection of how generous the Las Vegas tippers were. Tips hadn't been good for awhile, if her current apartment complex was any indication.

  
The two women were sitting on white molded plastic chairs outside the front door of Donna's ground floor unit which faced a lackluster courtyard. There was a pool at least, shabby but clean, but after seeing the creepy looks the guy across the courtyard was giving her, Felicity decided she wouldn't be coming outside in a bikini anytime soon.

  
She took a swig from a bottle of water that was so cold it made her teeth hurt. She'd already given her mother the run down of her situation, and that combined with the flight this morning from Boston and the time change had left her drained. She just wanted to crawl under the covers and sleep for a week.

  
Cooper hadn't been her first boyfriend, but he had been her most serious. Coming out of college, at the age when lots of people were thinking about lifelong commitments, they were at the point where they were seriously looking at the future. At least that's what she thought.

  
Felicity took another drink, heaved a huge sigh, and directed her gaze at her bare feet.

  
"Why do they always leave," she asked quietly.

Donna laid a hand on her daughter's knee and squeezed gently. She dated a lot, but Felicity had never known her to have a serious boyfriend. She said relationships ruined tips, but Felicity suspected otherwise. Donna certainly hated Noah Kuttler for leaving them, but a part of her still loved him too.

  
They were sharing a comfortable silence (a concept usually foreign to her chatty mother), when Donna suddenly began bouncing excitedly in her seat. Felicity watched with concern as her mother's breasts threatened to heave over the top of her skin-tight dress--the creepy guy across the way showed a sudden renewed interest.

  
"I almost forgot!" Donna grabbed Felicity's arm and jiggled it up and down. "I'm working a banquet for Eddie tonight to help him out. You should come too!"

  
Felicity groaned.

  
"Eddie has employee trouble? Surprise," she muttered, but her mother was already talking over her.

  
"You remember I told you Raul was promoted to Banquet Captain? Well, last week he ran off with two of the desk clerks."

  
"Two, huh? Way to go, Raul," Felicity deadpanned, focusing on keeping her water bottle from splashing on her while her mother continued to pluck at her arm.

  
"Yes, two. Sisters."

  
Felicity's face squished up in disgust. "I take that back. Blech, Raul."

  
"So it's Rotary night and Eddie really needs some help. Come with me, pleeeaasse..."

  
Felicity heaved a giant sigh, but she knew it was no use trying to resist. Eddie was her mom's cousin and he was always in some kind of trouble, but the hotel had been in the family for 50 years, so if Eddie was in trouble you helped, that was all.

"Fine," Felicity said, hauling herself to her feet. Concentrating on avoiding the clumsy advances of drunk Rotarians would keep her mind off Cooper for a few hours, at least.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

An hour and a half later Felicity was bitterly regretting her decision to help out. Not because of the Rotary Club, but because her mother hadn't stopped fussing over her appearance.

  
"I'm so glad I made you put your contacts in, and I told you that a smoky eye would do wonders. Didn't it do wonders?" Donna, with her hands firmly planted on her daughter's shoulders, spun her to face their friend Mindy, the Banquet Captain who HADN'T run off with two desk clerks. The other woman nodded her approval with a sly grin; Felicity suspected her mother didn't even know that Mindy was gay.  
Donna turned her attention to Felicity's white button-down shirt and slim fitting black trousers. "What is up with these buttons, young lady," she began, exasperated.

  
"What?" Felicity glanced down to see if she'd missed any, but apparently she hadn't missed ENOUGH, because her mother started at the top and began working buttons loose, just as the most beautiful man Felicity had ever seen in real life walked through the lobby.  
"Mom. MOM. Mom mom mom mom mom," Felicity hissed, her face blushing pink as she tried to wrestle her shirt out from under her mother's fingers.

  
Even with all the wrestling Felicity couldn't seem to take her eyes off this man behind Donna's shoulder. He was magazine cover pretty, built like an Adonis, and he moved like, well, like he owned the building. The whole BLOCK. And yet, he was dressed in a bellman's uniform. What the... "Felicity. Close your mouth." Felicity's eyes tracked slowly away from the man to the Banquet Captain, whose face was lit up with a grin. "Who..." she began, and Mindy laughed.

  
"He's the new Bell Captain. His name's Oliver. You want me to introduce you?" Mindy waggled her eyebrows and then gave her a saucy wink. "Um..." Felicity managed, but before she could come up with actual words another voice interrupted her thoughts.

  
"Hey Kid!" Cousin Eddie had never called her anything but Kid, her whole life. Felicity was pretty sure he didn't know what her real name was. Before she could turn around she was enfolded in a giant hug that lifted her off the ground.

  
"How's it going, Eddie," she offered affectionately, awkwardly trying to pat the arms that were pinning her arms to her sides.

  
Eddie Berkowitz had inherited the family business, a smallish Las Vegas hotel, from his father who built it with Eddie's grandfather (who was also Donna's grandfather), in the 1960s. They weren't lucky enough to build on the strip, nor were they lucky enough to build on Fremont Street. They WERE lucky enough to build roughly halfway between, and so managed to stay just this side of profitable. Eddie was a decent businessman, although not much of a people person, so he often struggled to make good decisions for the hotel. ("I got no people skills," he had often explained to Felicity with a shrug when guests left mad or employees quit.)

  
Donna had worked at the family hotel off and on for most of her life. The potential for bigger tips had led her to the strip for full time work, but nights off and weekends would often find her helping out to earn a little extra under the table. Likewise, Felicity's first job had been here, bussing tables and cleaning rooms when she was quite young, manning the front desk and serving at banquets once she got into High School.

  
Felicity emerged from her musings to hear Donna explain that her daughter would be in town for a couple of weeks, and to Felicity's horror she saw a lightbulb come on over Eddie's head.

  
"Hey Kid," he began eagerly, just as she was beginning to take a step backward with a shake of her head. "You wanna pick up a couple of shifts at the front desk? I'm desperate." Donna was bouncing in happiness again, which was bringing no end of joy to the Rotarians who were just arriving. Felicity desperately wanted to say no, to explain that she was planning to spend the next two weeks in front of her mother's television, feeling sorry for herself over gallons of mint chip. She needed that. She DESERVED that.

  
Just as she was about to open her mouth to explain all this a very strange thing happened: Magazine cover Oliver, the hotel's new Bell Captain, rounded the corner into the lobby, caught her eye, and smiled.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to be all chill and release these chapters on a regular basis like the organized person with self control that I long to be. Turns out, it's driving me crazy to have a finished chapter just sitting and staring at me, so here you go.

There was something comforting about the familiarity of clocking in, waving a cheery hello to Kenny (who had manned the security booth on the loading dock for thirty years and had never so much as cracked a smile at her), and taking her place behind the front desk. Felicity glanced casually at the Bellman's station as she stashed her purse; it was empty. Shoot.

  
Getting up to speed on the latest happenings from the outgoing clerk took so much of her focus over the next few minutes that she almost jumped out of her skin when she looked up from the check in report and met the most magnificent pair of blue eyes she'd ever seen.

  
"Holy Frack, don't you knock?!"

  
The blue eyes crinkled up with humor before flicking down to her name tag and back up. "This is the Front Desk, Felicity. Not the ladies room."

  
She blushed furiously under that gaze, suddenly angry at herself for acting like a teenaged fangirl when she should still be nursing a broken heart. Besides, this guy was so far out of her league it wasn't even funny.

  
"Hi. I'm Oliver."

  
"I know who you are. You're the super hot bellman who smiled at me last night and the reason I took this stupid job."

  
Luckily for Felicity, the universe did her a favor and kept that sentence from actually coming out of her mouth. Instead it rattled around in her brain on a loop while she stood frozen and mute in front of him.

He was offering her a nice smile, but when she continued to stare at him silently he tipped his head to the side and narrowed his gaze to study her.

"I take it you're not new here," he said then. It was Felicity's turn to tip her head questioningly.

  
"How did you know?" (Hooray! Words!)

  
Oliver shrugged good naturedly. "You wouldn't have a name tag already if this was your first day." Her mouth formed a little "oh" of surprise and his eyes dropped momentarily down to her lips and back up.

Her heart stutter stepped.

  
The phone rang, snapping Felicity out of her stupor. She held up a finger while she took the call and connected it through. She was hanging it up before she realized she hadn't broken eye contact with him the entire time. Blush number two in as many minutes commenced.

  
The staring contest might have gone on indefinitely if a car hadn't pulled up in front of the hotel, Oliver's cue to get back to work.

  
"It's nice to meet you," he said, holding her gaze until the last possible moment as he turned to leave.

  
Oh. Frack.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The desk was steadily busy for the next couple of hours. Felicity welcomed the challenge of remembering phone extensions, learning the names of new employees, and reacquainting herself with the quirks of the hotel. (All hotels had their quirks, but this one had always set the standard for crazy.) Keeping her brain busy was the best way to avoid thinking about Cooper.

  
Before she knew it her stomach was growling for its dinner. She was crouched down behind the desk digging into her purse for a granola bar when she heard someone above her clear their throat.

  
"I can run out and get you something to eat if you'd like."

  
Oliver was leaning with crossed arms on the desk, peering over at her with that smile again. Always with the smile, this guy. Felicity was starting to think there might be something wrong with him.

  
She was frozen in her crouch, huddled over her purse like a hobo over a campfire, feeling increasingly ridiculous. She adjusted her glasses with one hand while the other gripped her granola bar, and then she smoothed her hands self consciously down over her skirt as she straightened up.

  
"Um, no thanks, I'm kind of on a diet." This was not entirely true, although she'd lost a couple of pounds since the Cooper incident and was hoping to turn it into a permanent lifestyle change. As long as she didn't have to give up ice cream.

  
"Seems totally unnecessary to me, but suit yourself," he replied easily.

  
She still couldn't decide how she felt about his demeanor around her. He was borderline flirty but not obnoxious, and seemed interested in her, but not TOO interested. Overall, she supposed she liked him.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

All of her check ins arrived early that first night. While it was good to have everyone in a room and accounted for, it also made the last couple of hours of her shift pretty boring. Felicity had just retrieved the book she always carried for emergencies out of her purse when she found herself looking into those blue eyes again.

  
"Granola bars, books, that bag of yours has everything. I can't decide if you're Mary Poppins or Hermione Granger."

  
Felicity smiled as she concentrated on finding her place in the book.

  
"Well, I definitely can't fly, and I don't have a magic wand, but I've been told I have magic fingers." She held her hands up and waggled her fingers at him playfully before it suddenly hit her how that phrase sounded; her eyes went wide.

  
"I did not mean that the way it sounded. These fingers don't do anything kinky. Or weird. Just stuff on the internet. Not kinky stuff on the internet...just...the internet...in general." Felicity finally stumbled to a halt, face bright pink and eyes down on her book in mortification.

She risked a glance up at Oliver. He was staring at her, mesmerized. His head gave a little involuntary shake, like he couldn't quite take all of it in, but he sure looked interested in trying. Felicity decided to make a clean break of it; better that he learned now who he was dealing with. She pressed one palm to the top of her head and smoothed it back over her hair, eyes squeezed shut.

  
"I'm sorry. My brain thinks of the worst way to say things."

  
"You're remarkable," he replied immediately, then dropped his gaze and huffed out a breath, as if he'd just realized that he'd said that out loud. It made Felicity smile.

  
Once again the phone interrupted them, and by the time she finished the call and looked up Oliver was gone.

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Just before eleven Felicity closed out her drawer, tidied up the desk, and grabbed her purse. Cooper should be here any--

  
No.

  
The jolt of realization stole her breath and she actually slapped a hand over her heart to press against the sudden ache. Tears threatened as she worked to calm her breathing; she needed to get out of here and into the safety of her mom's apartment before she fell completely apart.

  
Felicity barely acknowledged the night auditor who was coming on to relieve her. Passing on the reports was a blur; she had to cling to the edge of the desk to keep from sinking down to the floor.

  
She made it out the back door of the hotel and to the driver's side door of the car she'd borrowed from her mom before her legs gave out for real. Felicity clung to the door handle, knees inches above the ground, taking huge gulps of air and pressing her forehead into the cool metal of the car. If she could just get her breathing under control she could drive home and collapse into bed without making a scene.

But fate had rarely been that kind to Felicity Smoak: Every slip of the tongue had an unsuspecting target, every plan had a flaw, every breakdown had a witness. This particular time the witness had unbelievably blue eyes.

  
"Felicity, hey." She heard his voice and moaned softly in mortification. She could feel the warmth radiating off him as he hovered just behind and to the side of her, feel his momentary hesitation before reaching out to her. One large hand lightly rubbed across her back as the other reached up to steady her arms.

  
"Are you sick," he asked softly and calmly, his quiet reassurance soothing over her panic attack. She managed to shake her head "no". Oliver's hand moved from rubbing her back to sliding down around her waist and shifting her toward him until she was snugged up against his side. He didn't try to lift her, just tucked her up under his arm and held her steady.

  
"Felicity, I need you to breathe with me, okay? Long, steady breaths." She could feel his lungs fill and his chest expand against her rib cage, so she concentrated on matching the rhythm. After several long breaths Felicity felt her head begin to clear and the world slow its spinning around her.

  
"Can you tell me what's going on," Oliver asked then, still pressing her against his body and murmuring close to her ear. She shook her head "no" again, but this time he wouldn't let her get by without an answer.

  
"Felicity, I need you to talk to me so I know you're okay."

  
She drew in another large shaky breath and blew it out slowly before turning her head towards him and lifting her eyes off the ground to focus on the crook of his elbow on her left.

  
"M'm okay," she managed, telling herself to push off of him and stand up so that she could get the hell away from here. But it felt so good to be comforted, even if he didn't know why she needed it. She allowed herself to go boneless against him for just a minute and felt his grip on her tighten as he took her weight.

  
"I think I should drive you home," he said then, and that was the jolt she needed to get herself moving.

  
"Uh no, thanks very much for the offer, but my mom will need the car back. I'm fine, really. I appreciate your...your help. Thanks. Bye."

Felicity said all this in a breathy little voice while standing up to shed his warm presence, fumbling with her car keys, and practically diving into the front seat. She had the engine started before she thought to roll down the window to say thank you again. For the first time she met his eyes: They were concerned, evaluating, authoritative. She managed a tired smile.

  
"I just need to go home."

  
There was another long moment while Oliver considered her, then he nodded and stepped back.

  
"Be careful. See you tomorrow?"

  
Felicity nodded and backed out of her parking space while he watched with his arms folded across his chest. As she turned out of the parking lot she couldn't help replaying the concern--and hopefulness?--in his voice.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the lovely comments! I appreciate it. :)

Felicity opened the door to a darkened apartment. Her mother had caught a ride to work and was probably still there. She stepped inside, closed the door behind her, and stood in the air conditioned darkness for several moments, enjoying the quiet.

She had been doing so well. She was keeping busy, staying in motion, fooling herself into thinking that this was not the end of her world. That boyfriends disappeared in the middle of the night all the time, no biggie, and all she had to do was channel her inner Dory and just keep swimming. Easy peasy.

  
Thinking of Dory made her think of the pool just outside the door. She pulled back the curtains to peek outside: Empty pool, no creepy guy. In less than five minutes she was stepping back out the door, swimsuit on and towel in hand.

  
It was not a deep pool, so she executed a beautiful shallow dive and didn't emerge until she reached the far end. Felicity had always loved the water; she'd competed on the swim team in High School, even though her time was cut short due to her early graduation. There were plenty of pools in Boston, but not many that you could swim in under the open sky at night.

  
She did a few laps and then flipped over onto her back for a few more. Finally she just floated, staring up at the night sky--light pollution beat out the stars--and blanking out her mind.

  
After several more minutes she climbed out of the pool, dried off quickly, and slipped back into the apartment, sure that she would be able to sleep as soon as she hit the sheets.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Donna was sporting a beauty mask, hair wrapped in a towel, when Felicity emerged from her room late the next morning.

  
"Mornin' hun," her mom crooned from the couch. "I'm catching up on Days of our Lives. Wanna join me?" She patted the couch next to her. "There's coffee," she added, unnecessarily; it was the aroma that had brought her daughter out of her room.

  
Felicity curled up at the end of the couch with her own cup and blinked the sleep out of her eyes. She had slept through the night without dreaming; the swim had done its job.

  
"I haven't watched Days in years," Felicity offhandedly remarked between sips. "I'll be totally lost."

  
"Nonsense," her mother replied briskly, sitting up taller on the couch and assuming her lecture pose. She proceeded to fill her daughter in on the ins and outs of Salem over the last few years while Felicity marveled. Her father might get the most credit for her brain, but there was no denying where her incredible memory came from.

  
They binge-watched into the afternoon, until Felicity finally checked the time on her phone.

  
"Oh frack, I'm gonna be late!" She scrambled up off the couch and flew into the bathroom.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She was almost mowed down as she walked into the back office behind the front desk; a tall, skinny redhead strode out the door as she came through. He growled something unintelligible at her as she jumped to the side, never slowing down as he stomped through the lobby and out the back. She was startled again by Eddie pushing through the doorway after him.

  
"Good riddance," he yelled at the man's retreating back. He moved past Felicity and continued out into the lobby, throwing a "Congratulations, Kid. You're the new Night Manager," over his shoulder as he left.

Felicity groaned and dropped her head against the door post.

  
"I AM ON VACATION," she said, to no one in particular, in her loud voice.

  
"Your definition of vacation is very different from mine," a voice offered from behind her.

  
The shock of her sudden promotion helped offset the embarrassment she would otherwise be experiencing at the memory of last night's episode in the parking lot.

  
Felicity turned to face Oliver, sheepish but resigned. He looked fantastic, of course, but without a trace of their encounter on his face.

  
"Eddie is my mom's cousin," she began by way of explanation. Oliver huffed a laugh.

  
"You have a Cousin Eddie?"

  
She gave him a wry smile. "Yes. And today the shitter is definitely full." Oliver's face broke out into a grin. Man, if she thought he looked fantastic before...

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Instantly becoming Night Manager didn't change her routine much, it just meant she was in charge of listening to the complaints from every department, not just the Front Desk. Oh, and she'd be responsible for the entire hotel in the event of an emergency, so that was fun to think about.

  
It also entitled her to a meal from the restaurant, a perk she would normally enjoy if she wasn't in her post-breakup funk.

  
When dinner time rolled around she ordered one anyway, because free meal. Also, she'd missed the hotel's Gorgonzola tortellini. She couldn't eat it in the restaurant with no one to watch the desk, so she had them bring it to her and she set it in the nook where the phone operator would sit if Eddie wasn't too cheap to hire one. This way she could answer the phones and see if anyone came to the desk, but hopefully guests wouldn't be able to see her picking at her dinner.

  
To the right of the operator's nook was a pass-through window to their small sundries shop. Felicity was tucked up in the nook starting on her dinner when Oliver leaned over the desk to peer at her. Her mouth was full so she motioned him around to the window in the shop.

  
"What's for dinner," he asked conversationally as he appeared over her right shoulder. She held a cheese covered tortellini up on her fork before popping it into her mouth.

  
"It's good to see you eating," he said then, quietly but firmly.

  
Felicity met his gaze and a long look passed between them. She forgot to breathe for a moment as they locked eyes; it felt like he was staring into her soul.

  
The spell was broken when Mindy let herself in behind the desk and sauntered over to them. Felicity broke eye contact with Oliver before the Banquet Captain could notice.

  
"Felicity Smoak, Manager on Duty. I like it." Felicity grimaced and speared another tortellini.

  
"Only until he hires someone."

  
Mindy snorted, making it plain she already knew how THAT was going to go. She backed up to the counter in the nook next to Felicity's dinner and leaned against it while reaching for the new Night Manager's ciabatta roll.

  
Felicity made an unhappy noise, but the Banquet Captain grinned wickedly and took a big bite anyway.

  
"I'll grab you another one from the kitchen later. I'm starving." Mindy chewed thoughtfully for a minute while she sized up Oliver leaning his arms on the counter in sundries.

  
"So what's your story, Oliver? Where you from?"

  
"Starling City," he replied, and both women looked impressed.

  
"I've always wanted to go there," Felicity said. "Did you live downtown?"

  
He shook his head. "No, the suburbs, I guess."

  
Mindy broke in. "So where else do you work?"

  
Oliver looked a bit perplexed. Felicity swallowed her bite and chimed in.

  
"Everybody works two jobs in Vegas. Unless you're a billionaire." Both women laughed at the apparent joke, but Oliver did not. He only glanced down at the counter for a second, but in that brief moment Felicity thought she saw something like panic in his eyes.

  
"I'm splitting rent with a couple of other people, so I'm doing okay at the moment," he said.

  
Their current conversation was obviously making him uncomfortable. Felicity was about to change the subject when a call came in requesting an airport pick up. Oliver turned to go just as Mindy said, "So, are things still serious between you and Cooper?"

  
Felicity's heart dropped at the sound of his name, but she also caught herself glancing over her shoulder to see if Oliver had heard. His spot behind her was empty.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Felicity had lost her appetite by the time she'd given the short version of the break up (the VERY short version; it was too painful to talk about) to Mindy. Even the little she'd revealed had brought her down again. She stared at her phone for several minutes, debating about calling him. But the thought of Cooper ignoring her call was too much to bear.

  
She had just finished connecting a call through the main switchboard when it occurred to her that she could dial from the hotel phone so that he wouldn't recognize the number. All of a sudden her palms got sweaty and her heartbeat quickened as she considered dialing. After two big breaths and a glance around to make sure the lobby was empty she snatched up the phone and dialed his number. With every ring Felicity's heart beat faster, until finally a male voice answered--a male voice that was not Cooper's.

  
"Um, is Cooper there," she squeaked with nervousness.

  
"Yeah, I just got this number, so I don't know any Cooper."

  
"Sorry to bother," she blurted out and slammed the phone down with shaking hands. Felicity planted both hands on the desk to steady herself while she tried to wrap her head around the fact that Cooper had changed his phone number in order to avoid her.

It was only then that she realized she'd been holding out hope that this was all just some crazy misunderstanding; maybe he'd mentioned that he had to go home for a few days and she'd just forgotten, and now that she was on vacation--ha, some vacation--they'd just been missing each other's calls or something. Because any explanation was better than the one now staring her in the face: That the reason the men she loved eventually left her was because Felicity Smoak was unlovable.

  
She clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle the sob that welled up, but she couldn't stop the tears.


	4. Chapter 4

Felicity was trying her best to be nonchalant about wiping the tears away as the next guest approached the desk. He was obviously the airport pick up, because she saw Oliver come through the front door behind him with the luggage cart. The sight of him ramped up her anxiety; she could already tell, even in the short time she'd known him, that he would notice her distress and ask her what was wrong.

She gave the guest a watery smile and tried to make as small a sniff as possible when he gave her his name.

  
"Sorry about the..." Felicity drew a circle in the air around her face and rolled her eyes. "I was watching a sappy movie on my phone. Gets me every time. Kind of quiet around here tonight. Have you stayed with us before? How was your flight?"

  
She managed to bring the babble to an end as she handed the slightly bewildered man his room key and pointed to the elevators. Oliver turned to follow behind, but she could see his concern for her etched on his face.

  
Felicity knew she'd only have a few minutes before a Very Nosy Bell Captain returned to the lobby looking for an explanation. She paced behind the desk, blowing out deep breaths and wiping her suddenly sweaty hands on her skirt. By the time she heard the elevator ding she was able to stand straight and still behind the desk, her hands clasped in front of her. She lifted her chin a little as he emerged and headed toward the desk.

  
Worry was radiating off of him as he approached and she had to stop herself from taking a step back.

  
"Felicity, what's wrong?" The way he said her name made her want to sink into the floor and sleep for a week; it was that gentle, promised that much peace. She blinked once, long and slow, before meeting his eyes.

  
"I am fine. Really." Oliver looked away and huffed out an unhappy sigh so she added, "Please don't worry." His eyes flicked back to her and she tried to show him she really was okay with a soft smile.

  
The inevitable phone interruption saved her from further explanation, and she was almost relieved that both of them managed to keep too busy to interact again until it was time to go home.

  
Felicity sensed him behind her as she clocked out, and before she could slip out of the door ahead of him she felt his hand catch her elbow and hold her lightly until he'd signed out as well.

  
Oliver held the door for her in silence and she marveled at the change in him. The slightly flirty, easy going bellman she had met two days ago was suddenly a man in need of a place to focus his anger, in need of a target, because of HER. The realization gave her a shiver of concern and anticipation.

  
He moved them both down the sidewalk, and without looking at her said, "Will your mom be expecting you home at any certain time?"

  
Felicity threw him a perplexed look but shook her head "no".

  
"She'll work pretty late, especially if she got a high roller section tonight."

  
Oliver let go of her elbow to grab her hand, then led her across the parking lot to his car. He opened the door for her and she got in without protest, even while every After School Special she'd ever seen flashed through her head.

She sat still, strangely calm about this pseudo kidnapping, but that could be because she'd always pictured her kidnapper looking like the creepy guy at her mom's apartment, not like a GQ model.

  
When he was settled in the driver's seat, Oliver turned to look at her, hand on the ignition.

  
"Felicity, (God, the way he said her name!) I know we hardly know each other, but it doesn't take a genius to see that you're in ten different kinds of pain, and I don't know why but I can't stand seeing you like this. I'm not making a move on you, I swear. I just want to help if I can. Would it be alright if we just went for a drive?"

  
Felicity regarded him for a moment and then nodded. She let out a huge sigh as he pulled out of the parking lot and headed for the strip. They drove in mutual silence for several minutes, and little by little she let herself relax as she watched the flashing neon and the crowds of Las Vegas pass by the car window.

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In the moment she didn't know why she started her story with her father walking out, but later she would realize that she needed Oliver to see where her damage started; why almost 15 years later a good-natured-if-hapless guy from New York leaving in the middle of the night could bring an otherwise smart and self-assured girl to her knees.

  
She fleshed out her childhood as a casino rat, doing her school work in various employee break rooms while her mom pulled double shifts, raised by a village of cooks and housekeepers, blackjack dealers and restaurant hostesses.

  
She told him the story of their family hotel and how she learned to make beds and make change and make a living in that building, and why she could never turn her back on it.

  
She told him point-blank how smart she was; how it led her to magnet schools and early graduation and a full-ride to MIT. What moving to Boston felt like after a lifetime in the desert; how she cried every day that first winter because she was so miserably cold all the damn time.

  
And then she told him how a cute fellow cyber security major got assigned to be her partner for a project, then became her boyfriend, then became disillusioned by school and dropped out in favor of working for minimum wage in a mall, smoking weed, and recreationally hacking.

  
Felicity was crying again by the time she got to the night he left her (how was it only four days ago?) She left out no detail--even the humiliation when she realized later that every guy at the house probably knew that Cooper had skipped out that night, but refused to tell her--because opening those still-fresh wounds in front of Oliver was somehow freeing, and oh, how she needed to be free of this.

  
She lost count of how many circuits they made past the Bellagio, the Grand, Treasure Island; at some point her hand had slipped into his and he was rubbing circles on the back of her hand with his thumb. Oliver uttered not a word while she talked, but he was listening, absorbing her experiences second hand, reliving the history of a small blond IT genius.

  
Felicity finally ran out of words and they drove in silence again, through this town that tried too hard to get attention and yet gave so little to those who courted it. When she began to yawn Oliver's eyes shifted to the clock on the dash and then he spoke for the first time in hours.

  
"I think I'd better get you back."

She sighed but nodded; it was so tempting to ask to curl up on his lap and keep the world out for a few more hours, but her mom would freak if she wasn't home first, and at this point it was going to be a close thing.

  
Oliver pulled up behind her car in the lot and let go of her hand to get out and come around to her side. He opened her door, held her hand as she got out, then pulled her into him and wrapped his arms around her for a long moment. She melted into him and shut her eyes, wanting very much to disappear inside his warmth and just sleep. She felt him rest his cheek on top of her head briefly, and thought he might have brushed a kiss into her hair before pulling back to look her in the eye.

  
"Goodnight, Felicity."

  
"G'night," she returned, fighting the urge to fall back into him. He waited until she was in her car and had the engine started before he pulled away into the night. Felicity headed home.


	5. Chapter 5

Her mother knocked on her door at a little after 9 the next morning.

  
"I'm headed out to the pool, wanna join me?"

  
Felicity did not expect to feel refreshed after the night she'd had, but as she sat up and stretched she realized the weight she'd been carrying over her heart for the last few days was lighter by half; thinking of the person who had helped her shed that burden made her smile.

  
She and Donna spent the morning swimming and laying out, gabbing about nothing and giggling about everything. They even splurged and went out for a late lunch before Donna dropped her off at work.

  
"You're sure you can find a ride home," her mother said for the ten thousandth time, and Felicity made a face at her.

  
"I will be perfectly fine. See ya later."

Eddie waved a hello as he passed through the lobby and Felicity stood on tiptoe to lean over the desk and holler after him, "You have interviews lined up for this job, right?!" He gave an ambiguous smile and hurried on before she could launch anything at him.

  
But even Eddie's foot dragging couldn't dampen her mood today, it seemed.

  
She was full of smiles and small talk with guests, and barely rolled her eyes when the bachelor party from hell burst into the lobby yelling for booze and women. She had just fixed up room keys for the party when maintenance called to give her bad news: The hot tub in their suite was on the fritz and couldn't be used during their stay. Every other suite was already occupied; Felicity bit her lip and studied her options while the rabble rousers milled about in the lobby. She glanced up once during her deliberation and noticed Oliver for the first time that day, hovering nearby with his eyes on the group; she got the distinct feeling he was looking out for her.

  
Breaking the news to the groom and best man wasn't quite as bad as she feared. She knocked some off the price of the suite, and promised to keep the pool open late for their exclusive use. There was some grumbling, but they took their keys and left and she heaved a sigh of relief.

  
It was busy for a Thursday, so it was early evening before she thought to text Mindy and ask for a ride home, but her friend replied back that she had the night off and was going on a date. Felicity swore mildly under her breath, then glanced up to see Oliver making his way over to the desk for the first time all shift.

  
"Crazy night, huh," he began, shaking his head at the number of people they had encountered already. She smiled wryly in agreement, but her distraction over the transportation hiccup kept her silent.

  
"Everything okay," he asked then, and she rolled her eyes at him.

  
"You're going to have to stop asking me that," she scolded playfully, and his concern softened.

  
"Then you'll have to stop making me feel so protective," he returned flirtatiously, holding her gaze until she blushed.

  
"My ride home just fell through," she admitted, and his eyes lit up with interest.

  
"I can take you home," he offered immediately, but she was already shaking her head.

  
"No, you wasted a lot of gas--and patience--on me last night--and I really appreciate it," she added quickly, "but I'll figure something out."

  
"It's no problem, it's on my way," he pressed, and Felicity shot him a suspicious look.

  
"Uh, what I meant is, it's no trouble. I'd like to do it." The hopefulness in his eyes floored her and melted her heart.

  
"Okay, thanks."

  
Any further conversation was interrupted by another call from maintenance, but this time the news was much worse: The groom and his merry men had decided to try out the hot tub anyway, and had managed to flood their room AND the room below theirs before heading out to hit the town without a word to anyone.

  
FRACK.

  
Felicity had her hands full for the next hour organizing maintenance and housekeeping to work on clean up, and sending Oliver to help move the affected guests to a functioning room. She had him move the soggy belongings of the absent bachelor party too.

  
She was finally breathing a sigh of relief that this shift was almost over when a very angry, very inebriated groom stormed through the lobby toward her.

  
"Hey! I can't get into my room!"

  
"Yes, sir," she replied firmly. "We asked you not to use the hot tub in your room, but you did anyway and flooded your room and the room below yours, so we had to move you to another room while we clean up the mess. I have new keys for you right here."

  
She was just moving to hold them out to him when he set both hands on the desk, gave a hop up, and planted one foot on the counter in front of her.

  
"I WANT THE BEER IN MY FRIDGE," he shouted as he crouched there, towering over her on the desk.

  
Felicity, frozen in shock for a moment, saw a flash of white bellman's shirt from the corner of her eye as Oliver launched himself through the window from the sundries shop, and before she could blink she was staring at his broad back; he had placed himself between her and the desk.

  
"Is there a problem, here," he asked in a voice so deep and gravelly she didn't recognize it as his.

  
Felicity took a deep breath, stepped to the side, and then pushed her way in front of Oliver.

  
"No, there is not. SIR, GET. OFF. OF. MY. DESK."

  
The drunken jerk's eyes flicked between her and Oliver, who was practically growling behind her, and decided to cut his losses. She held the keys out to him boldly and he snatched them out of her hand, then backed down off the desk a little unsteadily and stood there glowering.

  
"I will have my Bell Captain retrieve your beer and bring it to your room. Good night."

  
The man sneered at her and muttered something under his breath, but turned and stalked off to the elevators. Felicity realized she'd been holding her breath when she heard--felt, more like, he was VERY close behind her--Oliver let out his own breath and shift a step back from her.

  
She spared a glance over her shoulder at him and gave a breathy laugh, the adrenaline still flooding her system. Oliver had been zeroed in on watching her would-be attacker disappear into the elevator, but he dropped his gaze to her and his eyes lost their hard look. He stared down at her for a long moment in wonder.

  
"Since when are you such a badass," he asked softly.

  
She grinned up at him. "Since always."

  
He huffed a laugh and dropped a hand onto her shoulder before moving off to retrieve the asshole's beer, and Felicity immediately missed having him close to her.

  
Ohhhh dear, she thought.

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Oliver waited at the desk for her while she finished her shift work, then walked with her through the back of the house to clock out. As they crossed the parking lot Felicity's stomach growled in the most embarrassing way, and she was reminded that in all the craziness she'd skipped her dinner.

  
"Do you have time to grab a bite to eat," he asked slyly, and she glanced up at him and giggled.

  
"That loud, huh?" He laughed and nodded, then opened her door for her.

  
Twenty minutes later they were perched on barstools, sipping milkshakes and waiting for their food.

  
"I can't believe I haven't eaten here yet," Oliver said around his straw. "Especially a place called Stripburger."

  
Felicity snorted, which made him chuckle.

  
"When I was a kid there was a restaurant in Vegas called Dive. It had the BEST mac and cheese." She closed her eyes and savored the memory. "Eventually they took it off the menu, but as long as my mom flirted with the chef he'd still make it for me when we came in." Oliver chuckled and took another long sip from his milkshake.

  
"Hey! I get to actually PRETEND to be on vacation tomorrow," Felicity piped up brightly. "Night Managers get Fridays and Saturdays off."  
Oliver looked pleased. "I have tomorrow off too."

  
Her eyes lit up. "Do you want to hang out?" She grimaced a little when she heard the rampant enthusiasm in her own voice. "I mean, if you don't have other plans," she finished lamely.

  
"I'd like that very much," he said quietly, his face composed but his eyes twinkling.

  
"Have you ever been to Red Rock," she asked, as the two of them made room in front of them for their incoming plates.

  
Oliver shook his head "no", mouth already full of fries.

  
"It's not far, and it's AMAZING. We should go." Felicity was practically talking to her burger, and didn't notice that Oliver had paused mid-bite to gaze at her.

  
"Ooo, it'll be nice to see each other without these clothes on," she continued, and Oliver all but choked on the bite he'd resumed.

  
"Oh frack! Not without our clothes, like, NAKED! I meant without THESE clothes! The UNIFORMS!"

She flapped a hand wildly between them while her face turned three shades of pink. "Are you SURE you want to spend a whole day with this mouth," she groaned, fanning her burning face. Oliver just grinned.

  
An hour later they pulled into the parking lot in front of Donna's building and Oliver cut the engine.

  
"You do realize I never told you to take that last turn," Felicity said matter-of-factly.

  
"Um, you didn't?"

  
"Nope. I didn't tell you which building, either." She turned in her seat until she was facing him.

  
Oliver ran a hand through his hair and couldn't quite meet her eyes.

  
"The other night when you insisted on driving yourself home..."

  
"Yessss..."

  
"I followed you to make sure you got here okay." It was quiet inside the car for several moments. Oliver finally risked a look at her: Felicity's face was lit up like a Christmas tree. He blew out a sigh of relief and smiled back at her contentedly.

  
She looked down and away then, a soft smile still on her face.

  
"I'm making all these plans to hang out with you--WITH CLOTHES ON--and I don't even know your last name. Isn't that silly?" She looked back up at him and noticed that his expression had changed a little, grown more reserved. It was another moment before he answered.

  
"It's Queen. I'm Oliver Queen."

  
"Nice to meet you, Oliver Queen. Oh--hey, not like the Queen Consolidated in Starling City Queen..."

  
Oliver nodded, one hand rubbing the back of his neck. "The same."

  
Felicity gave a low whistle. "QC is on my list."

  
Oliver looked a little disturbed, his eyes flicking right and left. "What...kind of list?"

  
"The list of places I'd consider working," she replied confidently. He nodded, impressed, but didn't say more and they sat in silence for another minute.

  
"Dare I ask what Oliver Queen from Starling City is doing working at a no-name Vegas hotel?" Her voice was soft, laced with a combination of curiosity and bashfulness.

  
He turned and looked at her with an enigmatic smile.

  
"THAT, Miss Smoak, is a story for tomorrow."

  
She nodded with a chuckle as he got out of the car and came around to open her door. Like last night he kept her hand after she exited the car, but this time he raised it to his lips and brushed her knuckles with the softest kiss imaginable.

  
"How about I come get you after lunch?" Felicity nodded, speechless, her mouth a little "oh" of wonder.

  
"By the way," he continued, still holding her hand and looking deep into her eyes. "I forgot to ask how you feel about motorcycles."


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains a canon divergence: There is a Samantha, and a pregnancy, but no Moira involvement and an actual miscarriage.  
> (I also threw a little shade at a Season Five character because I couldn't help myself. #sorrynotsorry)  
> For everyone who has stuck with me this far, thanks for reading! I love hearing from you. ;)

Of course the first thing Felicity did after letting herself into the apartment was Google "Oliver Queen". She spent the next ten minutes either jumping up and down on the couch or screaming into a pillow, depending on the article she clicked on.

  
She learned about his run-ins with the law, his penchant for leggy models, and his need for speed which often led to more run-ins with the law. "YOU PEED ON A POLICE CAR?!" she yelled once before clapping a hand over her own mouth. She almost threw up when she read the Forbes article speculating his net worth.

  
Expecting her mother home any minute, Felicity rushed to get into her jammies and then paced a trench into the floor until she heard a key turn in the lock.

  
She pounced on Donna as she came through the door, grabbing her arm and guiding her to a seat on the couch. She decided to start with the drunk-guy-on-the-desk story, because in all her years in the biz she'd never had that happen. Donna made a great audience, oohing and ahhing at all the right parts, and jumping up to cheer when Felicity got to the part where she used her loud voice on a guest.

  
Her next task was much more delicate. It took ten minutes or so to describe Oliver and convince her mother that she hadn't already met him: "No, mom, he's new...Well I don't know when he started, but I doubt it was the weekend you worked the three Bat Mitzvahs...No, you're thinking of Billy in Banquets...He is DEFINITELY not Billy...I don't think you saw him on Rotary night...Because he was behind you the whole time..." On and on. She left out the Queen surname twist, for now. If THAT particular train got off its track she would never get it back on.

  
Felicity didn't know of any other way to tell her the next part without spilling her guts about the previous night's True Confessions on the Strip adventure. She kept that as brief as possible, because the part after that was the doozy: Tomorrow's trip to Red Rock Canyon ON HIS BIKE.

  
To be clear, she did not have a problem with motorcycles in general, or even with her daughter riding on one, but Donna Smoak had VERY DEFINITE IDEAS about motorcycle-riding attire. The first consideration was what had to go on under that helmet. Contacts were a must (although Felicity pointed out wryly that Donna preferred her in contacts for every occasion), and hair should be down.

  
Obviously her mother's personal preference for tight little dresses were a no-no, as were heels. A fashion show of epic proportions commenced as Donna drug out everything from Felicity's suitcase, the boxes of her old clothes stashed in her closet, and eventually everything in her own closet that wasn't meant for clubbing (there wasn't much).

  
At 2:30 in the morning a triumphant Felicity emerged from her bedroom in the winning outfit, there was much rejoicing, and mother and daughter were finally able to go to bed.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Felicity heard him coming long before he pulled up in front of the building. She peeked through the opening in the curtains at the parking lot; holy frack, that man was a beautiful specimen on a sport bike. She found herself pressing on her belly to keep the butterflies quiet as she counted to ten, opened the door, and stepped out.

  
Oliver was standing RIGHT THERE as she emerged. She closed the door behind her and leaned against it, gazing up at him.

  
"You didn't wait for me to knock," he said quietly, his expression serene. His eyes, though, they danced as they held hers, and Felicity forgot to breathe for a second.

  
"Hello," she replied, barely above a whisper. His eyes left hers briefly to take her all in, then he reached for her hand and led her out to the parking lot.

  
She spared one more glance over herself as they walked: She and her mom had finally settled on skinny jeans slashed in all the right places, a cami under a white sleeveless top, and adorable booties that could stand up to a bit of walking. Oliver had on khaki cargo shorts and a heather blue tee; the color did AMAZING things for his already spectacular eyes.

  
He helped her with her helmet, and smiled when she sheepishly asked if she looked ridiculous in it.

  
"You look perfect," he said.

  
He threw a leg over the bike and then held out a hand for her, so she took it and scrambled up behind him and--oh wow, they were VERY close together on this thing.

  
"Felicity, hold on to me tight," he said over his shoulder, and she obediently slid her arms around his waist and tried not to swoon. There is no good ending if you swoon on the back of a motorcycle, she told herself, and she felt him huff a laugh which meant she hadn't just said that in her head.

  
Contrary to all the stories she'd read about him last night, Oliver drove responsibly all through town and even on the highway. Felicity felt perfectly safe behind him, and even managed to open her eyes and enjoy the sights after a few miles.

  
In just over 30 minutes they were pulling up to the Visitor Center and he was switching off the engine.

  
"How was that," he asked, pulling off his helmet and laying it on the seat.

  
"That was amazing," she replied. She meant still being able to feel the warmth of his back on her front and the tingle in her hands from being locked together against his washboard stomach for the last half hour, but she let him think it was the ride.

  
They explored the visitor center first, holding hands as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Despite their obvious attraction, this didn't feel like a date (which technically it wasn't, she was pretty sure.) But it definitely didn't feel like two new friends just hanging out for the day either. It felt as if they'd been together forever, and she was beginning to have trouble remembering what life was like before she knew him. The thought made her warm and gooey and short of breath and dizzy, all at the same time.

  
"You're unnaturally quiet," he said at one point, tilting his head slightly to look at her.

  
"I'm just happy," she replied, and he squeezed her hand.

  
They got back on the bike and slowly cruised along the scenic loop until he pulled over about halfway along and cut the engine. As she took her helmet off Felicity watched Oliver's eyes light up in awe.

  
"The sound," he whispered. "There...there isn't any."

  
Felicity grinned at him, hating to break the silence, but wanting him to know that this is why she wanted him to experience it.

  
"No cars, no power lines, no birds. Just silence. That's what makes it amazing."

  
He dropped his wonder-filled gaze to her and she swore for a minute that he was about to lean in and kiss her, but he froze and only stared at her with a sigh.

  
There was a path nearby and they took it in silence, not holding hands now but staying very close. Oliver settled on a largish boulder with both feet braced against a smaller rock in front of him, then held out a hand to help Felicity up next to him. It was still early spring so temps were only in the mid seventies; chilly if you lived in Vegas year round, but perfect for a visiting Bostonian and a native of the Pacific Northwest. They sat without speaking for several minutes, still in awe at the sound of silence, until Oliver let out a long breath.

  
"I bet Googling me was quite an experience." She chuckled and bit her lip, but didn't reply.

  
Slowly then, in fewer words than she had used the other night telling her story, he began to reveal himself to her.

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There wasn't much to complain about if your family could afford to give you anything you wanted, but with parents that busy and successful he was occasionally smothered with affection and otherwise completely overlooked. He spent most of his time with their housekeeper Raisa, who taught him Russian and let him help her cook.

  
He had a childhood friend named Tommy, another billionaire's son, who lost his mother and was abandoned by his father at a young age and became like a brother to him. And a little sister, Thea, who was something of a surprise for his parents but a focus for ten-year-old Oliver's need to love and care for something other than himself.

  
School wasn't easy; he was told he could compete if he just tried harder, but every time an obstacle presented itself his parents swooped in and made it go away, so eventually he stopped trying because it didn't matter either way.

  
Then he met Laurel. She didn't have rich parents, but she could attend their expensive prep school because her mother taught history there. Laurel was smart and beautiful, moral and strong. He loved her, but he discovered that she loved him, not as he was, but as she wanted him to be.

Though he tried, he found it impossible to live up to her expectations while simultaneously living down to the seeming expectations of his parents. And so he rebelled; he behaved as badly as he could, which turned out to be pretty bad. While Laurel was busy at college Oliver was busy with everyone, including a girl named Samantha.

  
There was a lengthy silence from Oliver at this point, and Felicity, accustomed to filling silences with chatter, schooled her impulses and waited for him to continue.

  
"There was a pregnancy," he began, haltingly. Felicity got the distinct impression that he hadn't told this story many times. "It turned my world upside down. I was just 22, it was a one night stand; I was still with Laurel. I wasn't ready to be a father." His voice caught on the word "father" and Felicity instinctively slipped her hand into his.

  
"But she, ah, she miscarried, which saved me from having to tell my parents--or Laurel--what I'd done. That was a relief, but I couldn't stop feeling sad about it. Because even though I knew I wasn't ready for the responsibility of being a father, I realized that I did really want to BE one."

Felicity sucked in a breath and tears sprang to her eyes at his confession. She longed to wrap him up in her arms and hold him, but she held back and simply entwined her fingers with his and squeezed. He gifted her with a watery smile and they sat in silence for several minutes. When he continued his voice was back under control.

  
"After that I self-destructed some more--" he leaned into Felicity and gave her a wry smile, "read all about that on the internet--and then my dad sat me down and told me the path I was taking wasn't going to finish well. I know he expected me to study under him and someday take over Queen Consolidated, but I just don't think it's what I'm meant to do. I tried to talk to Tommy about opening a club together, but he just seemed off, distracted, and I could never get anything going. So I left."

Oliver risked a glance at Felicity then, because "left" sounded a lot like "ran away", and he knew very well what she'd just been through. But she met his gaze unflinchingly, with more understanding than he'd ever hoped to get from anyone he'd ever wronged.

  
"I came here to learn something about other businesses I might be interested in running. When I told you I was living with roommates I wasn't being truthful; I'm not entitled to my trust fund until I turn 35, but until then I can live off the interest. It's, ah, plenty."

  
Felicity spoke for the first time in a long time, and her voice was a little rusty.

  
"That still doesn't exactly explain why you're a bellman at a second rate Vegas hotel," she prompted quietly.

  
Oliver reached up with his free hand to rub the back of his neck.

  
"It seems my reputation preceded me. Legitimate businessmen didn't trust me, and the rest just wanted to use me to get to my father. Eddie was at least willing to give me a job with no experience and let me pick his brain whenever I had a question." He shrugged. "It's a start."

  
Felicity sighed and used her free hand to cover over their entwined fingers. She looked him in the eye and smiled, unable to find words to express how honored she felt that he had shared all this with her. The look between them grew so intense she was sure this time a kiss was coming, but again he froze and pulled back.

  
"We should probably get going before they ticket my bike," he joked, climbing down from the boulder and helping her down as well. She tried not to feel hurt that he wasn't making a move; after all she'd been in a serious relationship less than a week ago.

But when they reached the bike he pulled her to him like he had the night she'd confessed all, and held onto her tight. She melted into him, rubbing circles on his back with her nails until he growled with pleasure. He definitely gave the top of her head a kiss this time.

  
"Hey," she piped up, "we could go hang out in the pool at my mom's."

  
He rested his chin on the top of her head--their height difference was ridiculous--and huffed a laugh.

  
"I hate swimming, but if it means I get to spend more time with you, I'll do it."


	7. Chapter 7

Felicity met his eyes boldly, even as she plucked at her bottom lip with her teeth.

  
"I'll show you mine if you show me yours," she offered.

  
Oliver's eyes dragged down over her and back up. He licked his lips and nodded.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On the way back they'd made a stop off at his apartment (he was right about her mom's place being on his way, they lived pretty close) so he could grab some things.

  
He didn't walk away immediately, rather stood and regarded her where she leaned her backside against the bike.

  
"Don't go anywhere," he said evenly. She rolled her eyes at him and he smirked.

  
Oliver was back in less than five with a small backpack which she held her hand out for without comment and put on herself.

  
It was going on four o'clock when she let them into the apartment. She showed him which door led to the bathroom, then dashed into her own room and tore the place apart looking for her suit. Thanks to last night's runway show it already looked like a tornado had set down in here, and her frantic pawing didn't improve anything.

  
She finally came up with a one piece and a new, never worn two piece. Felicity eyed both critically for a moment, and then tossed the loser back into the morass. Creepy courtyard guy be damned; she was wearing the bikini.

  
She nearly brained herself on the nightstand hopping around on one foot in her effort to get the bottom half on, all the time chanting "don't start sweating, don't start sweating" under her breath. Thank God she'd shaved everywhere this morning. She gave a little cry of triumph upon finding her cover up--miraculously--on her bed.

  
When she emerged from her bedroom (making sure to shut the door behind her, because he was NOT emotionally ready to see that retail nightmare) Oliver was waiting in the living room, trunks and tee shirt on.

  
Felicity made a quick trip into the bathroom, grabbed a couple of beach towels, had a crazy imaginary argument with her mother over the pros and cons of lipstick at the pool, and then joined him in the living room.

  
"All set?" It was an unnaturally chipper voice, even for her. He looked down at her and nodded, suddenly sober. This was all new territory for them, and they both felt the weight of the potential consequences, good and bad.

  
They stood together on the pool deck, nervous. Felicity fussed over laying out the beach towels, taking a lot more time than was necessary to get them unfolded onto the lounge chairs. She ran sweaty palms down over her cover up quickly and snuck a glance at Creepy Guy's plastic lawn chair; thankfully, it was empty.

She turned to face Oliver then, who looked a bit like a man in front of a firing squad. Butterflies swarmed in her stomach for the second time today and she huffed out an exasperated sigh. This is ridiculous, she scolded herself, it's just a guy about to take his shirt off. You've seen guys with their shirts off before.

  
She plucked up her courage, looked him in the eye, and made her offer.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Just to make it easier, Felicity counted to three under her breath; one of Oliver's eyebrows lifted dramatically when he heard her. She reached down and grabbed the hem of her cover up as he began to lift his shirt. For a moment she was blind as it came up over her head, and then she was tossing it aside and staring at his UNBELIEVABLE abs. Her mouth dropped open and then snapped closed as she tried to remember English.

  
He wasn't having any more success, if the look on his face was anything to go by. Felicity was proud of her figure, and appreciated the fact that, at this point in her life, she didn't have to do much to maintain it. Having overcome the initial shock at the sight of his physique, she let herself feel a moment of pride at the way he was gazing at her. She even raised up on her toes and did a slow spin for his benefit; Oliver swallowed hard.

  
She suddenly found the whole thing incredibly funny and burst out in a fit of giggles.

  
"Told you it would be nice to see each other without clothes," she teased, and his face finally relaxed into a grin. She turned away from him and performed her best shallow dive, cruising along the bottom of the pool while her body adjusted to the shock of the temperature change.

As she was coming up to the surface she felt his presence under the water next to her, and burst to the surface practically into his chest. Oliver reached out for her and pulled her to him with one hand while he grabbed the edge of the pool with the other.

  
For a moment she couldn't speak again, gazing point-blank into that face. He was warm and solid against her, and she desperately wanted to check to make sure her bikini top hadn't slipped, but his face was inches from hers and he was staring very matter-of-factly at her mouth.

  
"I thought you said you hated swimming," she said, barely above a whisper.

  
"I do hate swimming. I never said I wasn't good at it."

  
Her mouth made a little "oh" and she may have moaned just a tiny bit.

  
"Felicity," Oliver breathed, in that way he had of saying her name that caused a little ache in her chest, but in a very good way.

  
"Yes Oliver?"

  
"Would you like to go to dinner with me?"

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The texts started about ten minutes after he left her apartment.

  
"Do you like Italian?"

  
"ARE YOU TEXTING WHILE DRIVING A MOTORCYCLE?!"

  
"Stoplight"

  
"Can't that question wait until you get home?"

  
"I'm multi tasking"

  
"Well stop--it's dangerous. And yes, I love Italian."

  
Twenty minutes later, as she was just laying down for a power nap, her phone chimed.

  
"We have reservations for Carnevino for 8pm--I'll come get you at 7:15"

  
"Carnevino? You're kidding, right? Where are we really going?"

  
"No joke. CU@7:15"

  
So much for the power nap; Felicity was going to need all the tricks in her bag to be fit to be seen at the fanciest, most expensive Italian restaurant in Las Vegas. Just as she was about to jump into the shower she pounced on her phone and added:  
"DO NOT BRING THE MOTORCYCLE!!!"

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oliver shirtless almost couldn't compete with Oliver in a suit--almost. She let him knock this time, and when she opened the door there was a long moment of mutual gazing and heart eyes before anyone spoke.

The shyness they'd both suffered from earlier in the day had been wiped away, leaving behind knowing smiles and the slow burn of anticipation. Small talk didn't even seem necessary as they drove; a very comfortable silence folded around them in the car, and Felicity couldn't seem to keep a soft smile off of her face.

  
She gawked just a little as she walked through the restaurant on his arm.

  
"That's a lot of marble," she breathed, and Oliver chuckled. "How did you get last minute reservations on a Friday night? Are you some kind of wizard?"

  
He winked at her. "It seems nobody wants to hire me, but everybody wants my patronage." She squeezed his arm, not sure what to say about that.

  
"Fe-li-ci-ty," he whispered a few minutes later over his menu, "stop looking at the prices." Her eyes shot up to his and she bit her lip. "It's fine," he soothed. He watched her eyes scan over the pages again.

  
"I guess I'll just have to get used to this," she sighed, almost to herself. Suddenly her eyes went wide and flew up to his, a look of shock and embarrassment on her face.

  
Oliver's face had sobered, and the look he gave her was pleased and hopeful, but also somehow sad.

  
"Oh Oliver, I didn't mean to imply that you and I...I mean we just met and I'm still getting over being abandoned by my boyfriend and you're trying to figure out what you want to be when you grow up, and besides we haven't talked about anything like that, I mean, there have been lots of promising looks and things, but, well, you haven't even kissed me, and I'M ON VACATION!"

She finished at a whisper shout and found that she had been leaning forward with every word until she was practically standing up over him. She sat back and huffed out a breath.

  
"Maybe this was a mistake," she said into her lap.

  
"Felicity." It sounded like his whole world was contained in her name; it made her shiver and want to throw herself into his arms. It was obvious he was waiting for her to look up at him before he went on, so she did. His expression had turned quite serious.

  
"I have to fly to Starling City tomorrow, and I want you to come with me."


	8. Chapter 8

"I'm sorry, what?"

  
Felicity set her menu down and clasped her hands together on top of it.

  
Oliver's eyes never wavered from hers, nor did he repeat himself.

  
"Oliver, I don't have the money..."

  
"Don't worry about that," he interjected.

  
"Oliver..."

  
"Please."

  
She continued to give him an incredulous stare while trying to come up with another excuse.

  
"Eddie..."

  
"We'll leave in the morning and I'll have you back by Sunday afternoon in time for work."

  
"But you're supposed to work tomorrow..."

  
"I have that covered." He glanced up and away for a second. "I mean, I will."

  
Their staring contest lasted so long that their server gave up trying to take their dinner order and moved on. Felicity finally broke the silence.

  
"If I say yes, what are my chances of getting an explanation for all of this by the time we get back?"

  
"100%," he replied, with absolute certainty.

  
"This has been the weirdest vacation ever," she groaned under her breath, and Oliver's mouth twitched up ever so slightly. She shook her head very quickly as if to clear it and then made her decision.

  
"Alright. I'm in."

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"When can I start asking questions," she began as soon as she opened the apartment door to him at six the next morning.

  
"Not yet," he sing songed, taking her carry on and her hand. "You look nice," he added as they walked to the parking lot, giving her one of those glances of his that always seemed to last a million years.

  
"Thanks," she replied. She'd bought the royal blue pencil skirt and blue floral sleeveless top the last time she'd been in Vegas, but hadn't taken it back to Boston with her for some reason. This must have been why, she thought, then rolled her eyes because she sounded like her astrology-loving mother.

Oliver had advised her that they would be going straight to QC from the airport, so she'd decided to dress her best. She was wearing her glasses because she'd only had about four hours sleep, and had her hair pulled back into a pony tail.

  
Oliver was in a different suit today, grey, with a white shirt and no tie. When he opened the door for her he removed his suit jacket from its spot on her seat and handed it to her. She carefully folded it onto her lap after she got in.

It had been a crazy ten hours: After ordering, Oliver had excused himself to make some phone calls, and then they'd hurried through dinner, but not fast enough to deter Felicity's rapid-fire questioning. It got so bad that Oliver threatened to charge her a fee for every question she asked, which shut her up quick. But Felicity was a shrewd negotiator, and by the time he'd dropped her off for the night they had agreed that she could ask one question every hour starting the next morning, but he would have the right to refuse to answer.

  
"Do I get another question then," she'd pestered.

  
"What?"

  
"If you refuse to answer my question, do I get a substitute question for that hour?"

  
He'd huffed out a breath and searched the heavens briefly.

  
"Sure."

  
This seemed to mollify her, for the moment.

  
Before he could get out of the car to come around and get her door, Felicity had suddenly lunged over and given Oliver a peck on the cheek.

  
"Thank you for a wonderful day," she said with a smile, and the intense, distracted look he'd had since dinner fell away.

That look was back this morning, she noticed. Whatever he was planning to do in Starling City didn't seem to be all that fun. The troubled life of a billionaire, she thought wryly. Felicity had a sudden, horrifying thought.

  
"We're not going in your private jet like some Pretty Woman thing are we?" Oliver grinned, eyes on the road.

  
"We're flying commercial, Felicity." She looked relieved. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye.

  
"I mean, we HAVE a jet, it's just not at my disposal at the moment." Her concerned look came back and he gave her leg an affectionate pat to let her know he was teasing. To his mild surprise, she slipped her hand into his when he would've pulled it away, and they continued holding hands all the way to the airport.

  
While they were indeed flying commercial, Oliver had failed to specify that their seats were in business class, a new experience for Felicity. She expected to be called out for a fraud every time a flight attendant passed by, but she was tickled with all the special services and little extras they kept offering her.

  
"I see why they close the curtains so coach passengers can't see all this fabulous stuff. Look at the tiny bottles of water," she almost squealed, hugging it to her in such a comical way that Oliver leaned over and planted a kiss on her temple without thinking.

They both froze for a moment, and then her head turned slowly until they were nose to nose, but after a super charged moment she saw the gears turning in his head and watched him pull away with a small smile.

  
"Is this a good time for a question," she asked in a small voice.

  
"Probably not," he replied, just as quietly.

  
Twenty minutes later they were in the air and Oliver took her hand again and intertwined their fingers.

  
"Okay," he said.

  
"Okay what?"

  
"Ask your first question."

  
"When did you decide to make this trip," she asked immediately.

  
"Last night at dinner," he answered without hesitation.

  
"But how..." Oliver held up a finger.

  
"I'm sorry, Miss Smoak, but rules are rules. One hour."

  
Felicity sighed dramatically, but gave his shoulder an affectionate nudge.

  
"I have another question, but it's not related to this trip. Is that allowed?"

  
Oliver pretended to consider.

  
"Counsel will allow it."

  
Felicity grinned. "So why do you hate swimming?"

  
Oliver shook his head slightly. "I don't know, actually. I've never been able to explain it."

  
"Maybe you were shipwrecked in a past life," she suggested with a laugh, and Oliver chuckled.

  
"That must be it."

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a two and a half hour flight from Vegas to Starling City. Felicity managed a short nap on Oliver's obliging shoulder; he rested, but didn't go to sleep.

  
"How are we getting to QC," she asked as they walked up the jetway.

  
"A car's coming to pick us up," he replied, leading her to the exit at arrivals. A sleek black car that looked like it must be polished with hundred dollar bills stood at the curb in violation of every airport parking law.

  
"Oliver, that's a...what IS that," she asked in awe as they approached it.

  
"Rolls-Royce," he replied, giving a nod to the driver as the door was opened for them.

  
"Ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod," she chanted under her breath, just a whisper, as she slid into the seat. Oliver flashed her a reassuring smile and placed his hand on her knee to help calm her down.

  
"Oliver, if you think having your hand on my knee is going to keep me calm, you sorely underestimate your powers of physical attraction," she muttered.

  
"You said that out loud," he informed her gently.

  
Felicity just looked at him. "I know."

  
Queen Consolidated was a towering building in the middle of downtown, a 45 minute drive from the airport. Felicity smoothed her skirt as they climbed out of the car, trying not to look as nervous as she felt. Oliver looked down at her until she returned his gaze, and thus they centered each other before heading into the building.

  
Although he stayed close, he was no longer offering to hold her hand. Felicity kept hers clasped behind her in order to refrain from reaching for him; they hadn't talked about it, but she suspected it wouldn't be a wise move to give the impression that they were a couple.

  
To her surprise they walked right past the bank of elevators and entered a small cafe on the ground floor where a handsome dark haired man waited alone.

  
"Oliver Queen," he drawled, standing up to pull him into a hug. "Where ya been hiding, buddy?"

  
"Vegas. Hi Tommy," Oliver said, returning the hug. Tommy's focus had already shifted to the beautiful blond in the room.

  
"This is Felicity," Oliver offered, ushering her forward to shake hands with his best friend. "She's a friend."

  
"And a lovely one at that," Tommy added, opening up the floodgates of charm. Felicity smiled, but said little. This was obviously a planned lunch; Oliver had certainly been busy with the phone calls since last night.

  
They ordered sandwiches and made small talk, but Felicity sensed a hesitancy between the two men, like there was something they both wanted to talk about but were afraid to bring up. Soon Oliver was checking his watch and pulling his suit coat on.

  
"Are we going out tonight," Tommy asked, talking to Oliver but looking at Felicity; she blushed.

  
"I don't think so this time, but soon," Oliver promised, shaking his hand and moving Felicity in front of him with a hand at her back. She noticed he'd moved in before Tommy could, and barely suppressed a smile.

  
When they got into the elevator, Oliver pushed the button for the top floor.

  
"Felicity, I have a meeting scheduled with my father, but I've arranged for someone to give you a tour of our Applied Sciences division. His name is Walter Steele; he's an old friend of the family. I think you two will really hit it off."


	9. Chapter 9

The elevator opened at its destination to reveal another tall, dark, and handsome man. Felicity made a mental note to check the streets of Starling City later to see if this was just the norm around here.

  
"Walter, it's good to see you." Oliver offered a handshake that turned into a brief hug.

  
"I was happy to hear from you, Oliver," Walter replied in a gorgeous English accent. Oliver introduced Felicity and explained about her recent graduation from MIT and her interest in Applied Sciences at QC.

  
"It would be my pleasure to show you around, Ms Smoak," Walter offered, and Felicity nodded politely. Oliver glanced at his watch, set a hand briefly on Felicity's arm with a secret squeeze, and excused himself.

She couldn't help turning to watch him stride down the hall, buttoning his suit coat and looking like a master of the universe. It was stunning. Walter recalled the elevator and ushered her in to begin their tour.

  
By way of introduction, he related the history of the company, its major affiliates, and its role in the global market. Felicity listened attentively, even though she already had all of this information documented on a spreadsheet on her tablet as part of the research for her List. She was impressed that he talked to her as if she was a fellow executive and not some blond eye candy his boss' son brought to the office for fun.

Walter was quite easy to talk to, pleasant and unfailingly polite. Best of all, he didn't act like she was taking up his valuable time. He even laughed when he gave their names at the reception desk in Applied Sciences as Smoak and Steele and Felicity joked that it sounded like the title of a trashy historical romance.

  
She was busy for the next hour being thoroughly awed by her tour; the company had graciously granted her access to almost every part of the division, and Walter was quite knowledgeable about the projects they were working on. It being a Saturday, there was hardly anyone around actually working, but Felicity could understand what she was looking at, and she was impressed.

  
She thanked Walter several times on the way back up the elevator, and he assured her that the pleasure had been all his. He offered to wait with her in the reception area until Oliver returned from his meeting, but Felicity assured him that she would be fine.

  
"I hope we meet again, Ms Smoak," he said with a warm smile, and she returned the sentiment.

  
She only had to wait a few minutes before Oliver reappeared; Felicity stood up as he approached. He looked much more relaxed than he had before his meeting, but there was still an underlying zing of tension radiating off of him that made her jittery.

  
"How did it go," he asked, staring down at her; he looked a little nervous to hear her answer.

  
"It was amazing, Oliver! Did you know they're working on a biostimulant implant to reverse paralysis?"

  
"I did not," he replied, looking pleased that she was so upbeat. She would've gone on, but he put a restraining hand on her shoulder and looked her in the eye until he had her full attention.

  
"Felicity," he began, then hesitated. She stood silently, waiting for him to go on. "I have one more meeting to go to, and then we'll be free for the rest of the day. In the meantime, there's someone else who would like to meet you."

  
She felt the anticipation humming through his hand into her shoulder and she shivered, but nodded.

  
He dropped his hand to the small of her back to guide her back down the hall until they reached a huge, glassed-in office.

Her eyes flicked up to his for reassurance and he gave her the softest smile imaginable before pushing open the door and ushering her inside with the words, "Felicity Smoak, I'd like you to meet my father, Robert Queen."

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It wouldn't do to bolt in this situation, Felicity knew this with certainty, but Oliver must've suspected that she was considering it by the way he blocked the doorway with his body. His father came around the desk toward her with a warm smile, and she made her legs move forward just as Oliver's hand returned to her back, presumably to give her a push if necessary.

  
Robert gave her a business-like handshake which she returned firmly; her mother might be the essence of flirty femininity, but she'd trained her daughter to always shake hands like a man.

  
"Dad," Oliver prompted, and a silent signal passed between them before Robert nodded and his son turned to go.

  
"Have a seat, Ms Smoak," he offered, directing her to the more informal lounge area on the near side of the massive office. Felicity let herself gaze for just a moment out the floor-to-ceiling windows at the city spread out below them.

  
Robert was just an older version of his ruggedly handsome son, and Felicity caught herself imagining Oliver looking like this in another 30 years. She felt a blush beginning and clamped down on those thoughts in order to concentrate on what he was saying.

  
He was interested in, and impressed by, her educational background, but he also had many questions about her experience in the hotel business. She told him about her job in Boston, as well as her current stint as Night Manager in Vegas.

  
She found she had the same ease around him that she had with Oliver, and on impulse shared a few of her more interesting hotel stories, including the event two nights ago when Oliver flew to her rescue. Robert's eyes lit up when she described the scene, and a detached part of her brain wondered longingly if that was how a proud father might look when hearing a story about her.

  
Robert asked her what she thought of her Applied Sciences tour and her impressions of the projects they were working on. Then he circled back to the hospitality industry, explaining that he had little experience in that business, and he was interested in the thoughts of someone on the front lines.

  
Before she knew it an hour had passed, and Robert Queen was drawing their meeting to a close. He shook her hand again, but held onto it and clasped his other hand over hers to emphasize how much he had enjoyed talking with her.

  
He showed her out of his office and they walked together a short way down the hall to a small conference room.

  
"I'm sorry I won't get to spend the evening with you and Oliver, but I already have another commitment. I look forward to seeing you again, though. Oliver will meet you here shortly." Before he could turn away Felicity spoke up.

  
"It must be nice to have Oliver back home after he was missing for five weeks," she heard herself say.

  
Robert's smile was amazed and grateful. "Nice is an understatement, Ms Smoak; it's like getting a whole new man back."

  
With a final smile the CEO of Queen Consolidated walked away.

  
Felicity pivoted in place to look out of the large window at the city; she pondered over all the things that had happened during the last week and wondered how they could all possibly fit together.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She felt more than heard him behind her in the doorway to the conference room. As she turned to greet him Oliver suddenly closed the distance between them in two strides, took her face in his hands, and with a whispered "Felicity," pressed his lips to hers in the softest, most passionate first kiss she could ever imagine.

It lasted for several seconds, and he seemed to be pouring all of his pent up feelings from the last few days into it. As it ended he pulled slightly away before adding one more soft, beautiful kiss, then swallowed thickly and opened his eyes.

  
"I love you," he whispered, and a little moan left her involuntarily.

  
"Oliver..." she breathed, glad that he still had his hands cupped around her face in case her legs actually gave out.

  
"I've wanted to do that since the day we met," he said softly.

  
"So why..."

  
"Because as much as I wanted to, I wasn't free to, and I was not going to start a relationship with you under false pretenses."

  
"You weren't free..."

  
"Laurel." He sighed and looked down; his hands were still cradling her face, and there were scant inches between them. "It hadn't been good for a long time, maybe ever, but we'd never officially ended it. After hearing your story about being abandoned and realizing that I had done the same thing to Laurel when I took off for Vegas, I knew I had to do the right thing and make a clean break with her before I acted on anything with you."

  
"Was that the other meeting?" She'd finally managed a complete sentence and felt pretty good about it, under the circumstances. Oliver nodded.

  
"How did it go," she asked softly as he finally dropped his hands from her face, grabbed her hand, and guided them both to chairs facing each other.

  
"It was rough, but nothing I didn't deserve, or expect. There was one revelation that answered some questions I've been having for a few months." He paused to gather his thoughts and Felicity snagged his other hand and gave both a squeeze.

  
"It turns out Tommy has been in love with Laurel since we were kids, which I guess isn't a surprise, but over the last few months, with me acting like an idiot and then dropping off radar, they've been getting closer. Tommy just hadn't been able to tell me to get the hell out of his way--"

  
"Until today," Felicity finished for him, and he nodded.

  
"Our lunch was planned; him showing up at the end of my meeting with Laurel was not. It's fine, though. I'm happy they want to be together; they'll be good for each other. And he and I have been friends too long to let a girl come between us."

He looked deadly serious all of a sudden. "Unless he gets any bright ideas about making a move on you," he warned, and his grr face was so comical Felicity burst out laughing. Grr face morphed into a grin and he kissed her again, just because he could. Then he stood, pulling her up with him and wrapping his arms around her waist.

  
"We have more to talk about, but there is another place to have that conversation, and it is not here."

  
"Ooh, I'm beginning to like the mysterious Mr Queen," Felicity quipped as he led her from the room. He threw her a smirk over his shoulder.

  
"My mysterious side has been driving you crazy since last night," he scoffed. "I bet all mysteries bug you."

  
"You got me there," she conceded.


	10. Chapter 10

Felicity would always remember her first glimpse of Queen Mansion, not because of its grandeur (although it tipped the scale in the grandeur department), but because of how she felt that day, snuggled into Oliver's side with him placing adoring kisses into her hair from time to time, feeling a great peace and knowing that revealing his feelings for her had allowed something in him to settle as well.  
He held her hand as they entered the foyer, and upon finding it empty led her back to the less public parts of the mansion, searching for someone. Felicity guessed who he was looking for moments before they stepped into the magazine layout kitchen where a short older woman was working.

  
"Mr Oliver," the woman cried, coming around the giant island to give him a hug. Oliver let go of Felicity to embrace her, then the two shared a quiet conversation in Russian for several moments. Felicity stood by, fascinated.

  
He reached for her then and presented her to the housekeeper with pride.

  
"Raisa, I'd like you to meet Felicity." Raisa caught her in a giant hug, and Felicity realized that this woman's bond with Oliver went much deeper than just employer and employee.

  
"Are Thea and my mother here," Oliver inquired, and Raisa's face turned sad.

  
"I'm sorry, no. Your mother and sister are in Aspen for the weekend. They won't be back until tomorrow night." He looked disappointed and Felicity slipped her hand into his.

  
"I really wanted you to meet Thea," he said, gazing down at her.

  
"Next time," she replied softly, and his look brightened considerably as he nodded.

  
Oliver and Raisa consulted on room assignments (in Russian again; Felicity felt a swoon coming on), and then they headed upstairs to change.

  
Fifteen minutes later Felicity was perched on a barstool at the island watching Raisa and Oliver prepare dinner. They worked well together, in the way that only develops after two people spend hours side by side. She rested her chin in her hands and grinned at them.

  
"We would make you golubtsy, Oliver is very good at it"--Oliver looked up at Felicity and waggled his eyebrows until she laughed--"but it takes too long. So we will make you stroganoff," Raisa explained.

  
The three of them ate together in the kitchen, telling stories and laughing, Raisa and Oliver intermixing English and Russian while Oliver translated on the fly for Felicity. They offered to help with clean up, but Raisa shooed them out of the kitchen with a plate of Russian tea cakes and a kiss on the cheek.

  
They settled in a book-lined room with a crackling fire, an enormous television, and a bevy of overstuffed leather furniture. They tried curling up on the couch together at first, but Oliver's nervous zing had come back and after a moment he moved apart from her and hovered at the edge of the cushion.

  
"This is the something else we have to talk about, isn't it," Felicity blurted out. "If it's bad news, just get it out there, because--"

  
"Felicity, no, it's not bad news; just big news." He laid a hand on her knee and gave a little squeeze. She nodded and let out a steadying breath.

  
"I've been talking a lot with Eddie over the last few weeks," he began. "The hotel is in trouble."

  
"Oliver, the hotel has always been in trouble; trouble is practically its natural state. This is not news."

  
"I'm serious. I've seen the financials." He squeezed her knee again to emphasize his point. Felicity swallowed hard. "He can't compete with all of the newer properties going up all the time, but he doesn't have the money to renovate, and he can't make the money he needs to renovate if he can't fill rooms.

  
"I came to Starling today to talk to my father: There is money at my disposal--not part of the trust fund--for me to invest in my future, and I pitched him the idea of me becoming part owner of the hotel. My money would cover the renovations and the rebranding. I want to make it profitable again. Felicity, breathe."

  
Felicity sucked in a giant breath and blinked several times at him.

  
"Does Eddie..."

  
"He and I have had several conversations about the idea over the last couple of weeks, but we met late last night officially and he is completely on board." Oliver hesitated. "With one condition." She blinked at him again. "He wants you to be General Manager."

  
There suddenly didn't seem to be enough oxygen in the room. Felicity stood up quickly and moved away from Oliver, fanning her face with her hands and blowing out deep breaths.

  
"Felicity, are you having another panic attack?" Oliver's voice was laced with concern.

  
"Um, no, I don't think so," she replied, a little high pitched, tears pricking her eyes. She shook out her hands and paced through the room while he sat still, tracking her movements with his eyes. Finally she felt under control enough to return to the couch, but she didn't sit.

  
"Oliver," she began, "I have worked SO HARD for my education. I love the hotel business--and, god help me, that stupid hotel--but I don't want to live my whole life in Las Vegas. I want a career inventing technologies that make people's lives better."

  
"I know," he said softly, standing slowly in order not to spook her. "That's why I brought you to Starling City with me...for your job interview with Queen Consolidated." He reached out for her arms then, in case she went down.

  
"The deal is," he continued slowly, "you would be GM for the six months it takes us to renovate and get the hotel back on track, and in the meantime you would have a job waiting for you in Applied Sciences at QC." She did go down that time, but he was ready and pulled her to him.

  
"Felicity," he breathed into her hair, "say something." There was a long beat of silence.

  
"Could I have a minute? I need to make a phone call."

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Felicity checked the time on her phone as Oliver let himself out and closed the door: 10:30pm on the east coast. She groaned, but searched through her contacts, squeezed her eyes shut, and connected the call.

  
He picked up on the third ring and she jumped right in, mouth moving a hundred miles an hour.

  
"Hi, it's Felicity. I know I'm only supposed to use this number for emergencies, but I'm kind of having a personal emergency here and I could use some advice."

She quickly went over the events of the past week, including her surprise interview with the CEO of Queen Consolidated. She referred to Oliver as "an investor" in the story, feeling that telling her boss that he had given her two weeks off to get over a broken heart only to learn that she had found a new boyfriend--and, potentially, new job--within seven days sounded somewhat ungrateful.

  
"They want me to take over as GM until we get through the renovation. I don't know if I can do it," she finished quietly.

  
"Felicity," he said, "it's not going to be easy. You'll be on a bit of a learning curve, even without the complications of a renovation. But you'll pick all that stuff up. You already have what it takes to be a good manager; that's the important part."

  
"I feel bad that I won't be able to give you two week's notice," she said sadly, truly sorry that they wouldn't be working together anymore.

  
"It sounds like that hotel needs you; you should be there. Don't worry about us."

  
"Thank you, Mr Diggle," she said in a wobbly voice, the long day and all the emotions finally catching up to her.

  
"Felicity, if you're going to be a General Manager that makes us colleagues. You'd better call me John."

  
She smiled through sudden tears and said goodbye, then had a good cry by herself for a couple of minutes.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

By the time she opened the door to let Oliver back in she was clear-eyed and determined. Oliver, on the other hand, looked like he had spent the day in battle; he was shattered, not to mention concerned about her potential answer.

  
She took his hands and looked up into his eyes; he held his breath.

  
"We have a lot of work to do."

  
His face blossomed into a grin and he picked her up and spun her around as she squealed. Then he called Raisa and asked for coffee and they began making lists.

  
"We have to get a start on the building permits, find an architect and a designer, oh and hire a new Night Manager and Bell Captain." She stopped and grinned at him and he chuckled. "I've always thought we could compete against the big guys if we went boutique; something original, maybe vintage. We need to be understated, not flashy. And we need a hook for the restaurant, make it a reason to visit all on its own." She was pacing now while Oliver scribbled notes and worked on his laptop. She suddenly spun toward him and snapped her fingers.

  
"I have an idea!"

  
Two hours later the coffee table was littered with papers. Felicity had abandoned her shoes and was sitting cross-legged in an armchair, surfing the internet for decorating ideas. They'd moved the printer in from the office down the hall because Oliver had gotten tired of running down there to retrieve everything she was printing off.

  
"This is going to work, Oliver," she said around the pen clamped in her teeth. She looked up to find him hunched over in front of his computer, head in his hands.

  
"Oliver?"

  
"I don't know if I can do this," he said, barely above a whisper. He glanced up at her and raked a hand through his hair. "Organize a renovation and rebrand a hotel? I've never done anything like this before. Hell, I've never done...anything."

  
His eyes looked so bleak that Felicity threw herself out of her chair and onto her knees in front of him, holding his face in her hands.

  
"Oliver, do you remember where we were 24 hours ago? Sitting in a god-awful-expensive Italian restaurant in Las Vegas. Since then you've scheduled and held two business meetings, made travel arrangements to get us to Starling City, set up tours and interviews, broken up with your girlfriend and reconciled with your best friend, secured TWO job offers for me, and made some damn fine beef stroganoff. Don't tell me you can't do this."

  
He gave her a watery smile and nodded.

  
"Did you even sleep at all last night?" Oliver shook his head no and she threw her arms around him in a tight hug. "Oh, you poor baby, I'm sorry to keep you up. This stuff can wait until tomorrow."

  
A half an hour later Felicity was ready to climb into bed when a terrifying thought clutched at her heart. She slipped out of her room and tiptoed down the hall, hesitating and biting her lip for just a second before she knocked. There was no sound for several seconds, and she was torn between knocking again or just walking away when the knob finally turned and Oliver's face appeared in the doorway.

  
"I forgot! In everything that happened today I totally forgot and I'm so sorry!"

  
"Felicity, what..."

  
"Usually I'm the one talking in sentence fragments...never mind," she preempted herself. "What I forgot to say is, I love you! I love you Oliver--"

  
He pulled her into his arms and she melted against him briefly before propelling them both into his room and closing the door with her foot.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next week was a blur of planning, working, hiring, and more planning. Felicity was up early and home late, with barely any time to spend alone with Oliver, let alone with her mother. They made tremendous strides in those five days, especially after a special trip to visit Eddie's mother, Auntie Ruth, at her home in Boulder City to talk about what the hotel looked and felt like when it was brand new. She was able to unearth photographs from the day it opened, and all the way home Felicity clutched the shoebox full of photos to her like it was pirate treasure.

  
From those photos their decorator was able to source elements to re-create the entire hotel as it looked when it opened in 1967, except with every modern technology imaginable. It might look like a mid century museum, but it would have cutting-edge amenities; Felicity insisted on it.

  
Another late night brainstorming session in Oliver's apartment gave them the idea for the theme of the restaurant: In a nod to the Cold War as a current event in the sixties and an homage to Oliver's adopted roots, it would feature a mix of Russian and American fare with a kitschy Space Race theme. After much discussion they settled on calling it Prochnost, and the bar Sputnik's.

  
Felicity had now been back in Boston over a week, hurriedly packing up her apartment and tying up the loose ends of her life on the east coast. Oliver had flown out the day before to help her load up and drive out to Nevada; the UHAUL trailer out on the street was almost full. She paused in the middle of sealing up her last cardboard box to gaze at him, stretched out on his back on the floor, one hand behind his head, the other resting on his chest, sound asleep. Her phone suddenly rang and she pounced on it before it could wake him. She answered it without looking at the number, her voice just above a whisper.

  
"Felicity, hi." Her blood froze as she scooted out of the room and into the hall.

  
"Cooper?" She knew it was him, but said it anyway to stall for time until she could get her heartbeat under control.

  
"Yeah," he said. "I wasn't sure you'd answer."

  
She gave no reply and the silence between them was a thing she could almost touch.

  
"Um, how are you?"

  
"I'm actually in the middle of moving back to Vegas," she said quietly.

  
"Yeah, I called the hotel once and they told me you'd gone out to see your mom for a bit. I guess you got a job out there, huh?"

  
"Sort of," she replied. There was another infinite pause.

  
"So, I'm actually in town for Jeremy's wedding--you remember Jeremy..."

  
"Yes."

  
"And I thought maybe we could get together and...talk about stuff...if you want to."

  
Felicity slid a step back toward her near-empty bedroom and peeked around the corner to look at Oliver still napping on the floor. After the last few hectic weeks he looked more at peace in that moment than she could put into words.

  
"No thanks," she said.

  
"Oh. Alright then," she heard him reply, totally taken aback.

  
"Goodbye Cooper."

  
"B...bye Felicity."

  
She turned the ringer off and set the phone down, then tiptoed across the room and lay down on the floor, snuggling up against Oliver.

Felicity got to go on one more vacation that year; four months into the renovation they managed to sneak away for a long weekend to the Grand Canyon, where Oliver proposed.  
 

\--------------------------------------The End-----------------------------------------------------

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The idea for this story is autobiographical; twenty-odd years ago my boyfriend left me the same way--almost word for word--that Cooper left Felicity. The drunk-guy-on-the-desk story happened to me too, although instead of Oliver Queen coming to my rescue (*sigh*), my Front Desk Manager jumped in front of me; she was seven months pregnant at the time. It was the essence of badass.  
> In the years after he left a part of me always wondered what I would do if he showed up at my door one day: 3 years after he disappeared he called me to say he was at a Denny's down the street from my apartment, and would I like to get together. I had just started dating a guy, who was visiting me when I took the call, and I knew what decision to make. Roughly a year later that guy proposed to me at the edge of the Grand Canyon, and the rest is history.  
> If you hang out on Tumblr, I am it-was-a-red-heeler. Thanks for reading!


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